Chapter 2: The rejection
1020 Words
Celeste's POV
The envelope fell from my numb fingers, landing on the polished floor with a soft thud that seemed to echo through the suddenly silent dining hall.
"Pick it up," Garrett commanded, his voice sharp and cutting. "Sign it."
The room spun around me in a dizzying blur. Hundreds of eyes watched, waiting with a mixture of shock and curiosity. Some pack members whispered among themselves, their voices creating a low buzz that made my stomach churn. Others stood frozen in shock, unable to believe what they were witnessing.
This was supposed to be a celebration, our anniversary dinner. Instead, it had become a public execution.
"You can't," I whispered, my hand moving instinctively to my stomach where our secret grew. "Garrett, please. Not here. Not like this."
Six weeks. I'd been carrying our child for six weeks, waiting for the perfect moment to tell him. I'd imagined his reaction a thousand times, the joy in his eyes, his arms wrapping around me protectively. Those dreams turned to ash in my mouth.
"Sign the papers, Celeste." His green eyes were harder than I'd ever seen them, like chips of emerald ice. "It's over. It's been over for years."
Years. How long had he been lying to me? How many nights had he held me while planning this moment?
Vera laughed, the sound like breaking glass. "Oh, sweetie. Did you really think he'd stay with you? A weak little healer who can't even shift properly?"
Her words cut deep, finding the wound I'd tried to hide. My incomplete shifting had always been my shame, the weakness whispered about behind closed doors. While other wolves transformed with fluid grace, my changes were painful, imperfect, incomplete.
My wolf howled in pain, a mournful sound that only I could hear. The rejection bond began tearing at my insides, but something was wrong. It hurt more than it should. Much more. The agony spread through my chest like fire, consuming everything in its path.
I bent to pick up the envelope, and a wave of agony shot through my abdomen like a knife. I gasped, clutching the table for support, my knuckles white against the dark wood.
"Stop being dramatic," Garrett snapped. "Just sign it."
With trembling hands, I opened the envelope. The rejection papers were formal, detailed, typed on official pack letterhead. He'd been planning this for weeks. Maybe months. Every clause was spelled out in cold legal language, the dissolution of our mate bond, our marriage, our life together. My signature line waited at the bottom, a blank space that would erase three years of my life.
"I won't sign," I said, louder this time.
The room went silent.
Garrett's face turned red. "What did you say?"
"I said no." I straightened, fighting through the pain. "You want to reject me? Fine. But I don't accept it."
"You have to!" Vera stepped forward. "You pathetic little…"
The pain in my abdomen intensified. Something warm trickled down my leg. I looked down and saw red.
Blood.
"No," I breathed.
My legs gave out. I crashed to the floor, the rejection papers scattering around me. The pain was unbearable, like my insides were being shredded.
"She's hemorrhaging," someone shouted. "Get the pack doctor!"
But I knew it was too late. The incomplete rejection was killing me and my pup. Garrett had started the process, and without completion, my body was tearing itself apart.
"Please," I gasped, reaching for Garrett. "Save my life."
He stepped back, his face cold. "I want you gone, this minute."
The rage that filled me was like nothing I'd ever felt. My wolf roared to the surface, lending me strength. I pulled myself to my feet, blood still running down my legs.
"You want me gone?" I snarled. "Fine. But know this, Garrett Storm. One day, you'll regret this. One day, you'll beg for what you threw away."
I stumbled toward the door, each step leaving bloody footprints behind me. Pack members parted like water, none offering help. They were too afraid of their Beta's anger, too concerned with their own positions to show mercy. I'd lived among these people for three years, healed their wounds, tended their sick children, and not one would meet my eyes now.
"Where will you go?" Garrett called after me. "No pack will take a rejected wolf."
I turned back, meeting his eyes one last time. "I'd rather die in the woods than spend another second here."
The night air hit my face like a slap. Rain had started falling, cold and harsh. I ran, barefoot and bleeding, toward the border. Every step was agony, but I didn't stop.
My wolf guided me through the darkness. We'd run this path before during our secret escapes. But never like this. Never dying.
Behind me, I heard howls. Were they chasing me? Or just celebrating?
The blood loss was making me dizzy. My dress was soaked red. But I kept running.
The Silver Moon border came into view. Beyond it lay no man's land, then the Crimson Shadow Pack territory. Death either way. Rogues in no man's land, or execution by the cruel Alpha Frost.
Another wave of pain dropped me to my knees. I crawled the last few feet, crossing the border. The pack bond snapped, sending fresh agony through my body.
I was packless now. Officially rejected. Alone.
"I'm sorry, little one," I whispered to my pup. "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you."
The rain washed away my tears and blood. I dragged myself under a large pine tree, curling into a ball. The pain was fading now, replaced by cold numbness.
This was how I would die. Alone, rejected, with my pup never getting a chance at life.
My vision blurred. Darkness crept in from the edges.
The last thing I heard was footsteps. Heavy, measured, dangerous.
"What do we have here?" a deep voice rumbled above me.
I forced my eyes open. A massive figure stood in the rain, features hidden by shadows.
"Please," I whispered. "My pup..."
Then everything went black, and I fell into a darkness deeper than night.
- Writer
